Five Bold Ways the Miami Dolphins Could Start Cleaning House Today

Breaking news: New Times has now confirmed with multiplesources that the Miami Dolphins are indeed a terrible football team. We will continue to update our readers as additional facts about this devastating yet unsurprising news are available.

OK, so you already know the Dolphins are plummeting toward the NFL cellar without a parachute and there is nothing that can save them. They aren't in need of a few tinkers here and a few adjustments there; they are in need of a complete roster overhaul from top to bottom.

The Dolphins need to make some bold moves ASAP to turn this franchise in the right direction. Here are a few ideas to get this fire sale underway.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

5. Cut Arian Foster.

What are the Dolphins really accomplishing by dragging Arian Foster's body to the finish line of his career? Every carry Foster gets is one fewer carry the Dolphins get to give one of their younger backs like Kenyan Drake or Jay Ajayi. Wringing out the last bits of Foster's abilities might make a lot of sense for a contender right now, but for the Dolphins, he's a progress blocker.

If the Dolphins are going to stink this season, they need to at least accomplish a few things, including figuring out if they have a starting running back on their roster heading into 2017 or if they need to go out and find one in the draft or free agency.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

4. Shop Ryan Tannehill and take whatever you can get.

At this point, the team should accept whatever it can get for its quarterback. Backup Matt Moore isn't the answer, but neither is Ryan Tannehill; it's time for the Dolphins to get a jump-start on the reset button they will be hitting eventually at the QB spot. Tannehill's contract allows the team to walk away from continued guaranteed trigger points before next season, but walking away would mean getting nothing in return for Tannehill. It's just smart business to make the decision now so they can check the market on a bottom-tier QB who has shown some signs of life in his career.

The Dolphins should shop Tannehill to anyone for anything, including to the Cleveland Browns for Josh Gordon in return. Yes, the same Josh Gordon who is in rehab. Yes, the same Josh Gordon who might never play another snap of football in the NFL. Yes, the same Josh Gordon who has just a year left on his contract for just under $1 million. Unloading Tannehill's contract in return for a lottery-ticket wide receiver would be better than nothing.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

3. Fire general manager Mike Tannenbaum.

This is perhaps the least hottest take of the bunch, but the fact is that Mike Tannenbaum should be fired, and he should be fired right away. Tannenbaum has had two years to put his fingerprints on the Miami Dolphins as general manager, and all he has done is take a terribly mediocre team and turn it into a team that would be happy to achieve mediocrity on Sunday.

The Dolphins are one of the worst teams in the NFL in 2016. In the past, the Fins have been bad in comparison to their expectations, but now the Dolphins are just bad in general. By anyone's standards. Ever. Tannenbaum built this roster and spent lots of money on contracts the Dolphins already wish they could get out from underneath. It's time to let someone else try to clean up his mess.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

2. Bench Byron Maxwell for good.

In fact, the Dolphins should consider cutting the cornerback, depending upon the salary-cap implications. Yet another Mike Tannenbaum mistake needs to be given money to go away, further driving home why the general manager needs to be let go by Stephen Ross this offseason. Byron Maxwell is in no way a part of the Dolphins' future. Hell, he's not even a part of their present.

It's time to play Tony Lippett and Xavien Howard as much as possible. Howard has a banged-up knee, but even if he is unable to play as the season finishes out, the Fins need to find someone to replace Maxwell in 2017.

Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

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1. Try to trade Mike Pouncey.

The last thing a team in the middle of a complete rebuild needs is one of the most expensive offensive linemen in the game, especially if that lineman is pushing 30 and has not completed a full season of football in years. Pouncey is once again recovering from a hip injury, and now that he is healthy, the Dolphins should be finding out if they can dump his salary for a midround pick.

Most teams find their centers in the midrounds, and few pay top dollar for them. The Dolphins need to be asking around to see if anyone wants their valuable players. No one is taking Ndamukong Suh off the team's hands at the ridiculous price the Dolphins paid to sign him last offseason, but someone might be in the market for a perennial Pro Bowl center if the price is discounted enough.

The Dolphins shouldn't be negotiating prices with other teams. They should be begging the other teams to take whatever they have for free in exchange for assets that will help build the Fins' future. The team is a mess, and it's time to take a real wrecking ball to it.

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